IOWA CITY, Iowa — Offense, defense and special teams -- there was something for everyone in Michigan State's 26-14 victory over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Spartans quarterback Connor Cook passed for a career high 277 yards, freshman kicker Michael Geiger booted four field goals, and Michigan State's defense held the Hawkeyes to 23 yards rushing after Iowa entered the game having rushed for more than 200 yards in each of its first five games and averaging 244.4 per contest.

Michigan State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) controlled the opening 25 minutes, staking out a 10-0 lead on Macgarrett Kings Jr.'s 46-yard touchdown catch and a 27-yard field goal from Geiger.

Iowa (4-2, 1-1) scored on its final two drives of the first half, however, to take a 14-10 lead into intermission -- energizing the crowd of 69,025.

The Spartans silenced the black-and-gold clad Hawkeyes' fans at the start of the second half, marching 75 yards on seven plays to reclaim the lead for good, as Bennie Fowler's 37-yard TD catch from Cook at the 11:55 mark of the third quarter made it 17-14.

Geiger extended the lead to 20-14 with a 35-yard field goal with 2:38 left in the third quarter, and punter Mike Sadler ran for 25 yards on a fake punt on the first play of the fourth quarter to sustain a drive that ended when Geiger booted a 49-yard field goal to make it a two-score game at 23-14.

Geiger's 40-yard field goal with 5:25 remaining closed the scoring before Darqueze Dennard's second interception of the game sent the fans to the exits with 5:09 remaining.

The Hawkeyes scored their touchdowns on Damon Bullock's 47-yard catch and run at the 4:19 mark of the second quarter, and tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz's 10-yard touchdown catch with 1:10 left before the half.

The Spartans had come up empty in their first two trips into the red zone — Geiger missing a 37-yard field goal and Jeremy Langford getting stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Iowa 23.

SPARTAN HIGHLIGHTS

— Bennie Fowler beat Iowa cornerback B.J. Lowery deep for a 37-yard TD pass to cap a textbook seven-play, 75-yard TD drive that opened the second half for the Spartans and gave them a 17-14 lead.

— There was execution all around on Kings' 46-yard TD catch on third-and-8 at the Iowa 46-yard line at 6:18 of the second quarter. Tailback Jeremy Langford stepped up and picked up the blitzing linebacker, Cook put the ball on the money, receiver Bennie Fowler provided a downfield block and Kings made a sharp cut before outracing defenders.

— Bennie Fowler broke a tackle after making a catch on a short throw to the sideline and gained 12 yards on third-and-6 at the Spartans' 29, sustaining a drive that ended four players later with Kings' 46-yard TD grab.

-- Punter Mike Sadler ran for 25 yards on a fourth-and-7 from the Michigan State 37-yard line, sparking a scoring drive capped by Michael Geiger's 49-yard field goal that put Michigan State up 23-14 with 13:28 left in the third quarter.

SPARTAN LOWLIGHTS

— Michael Geiger missed his first field goal attempt of the game wide right when the kick appeared to slice, perhaps with the help of a cross-wind.

— Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi dialed up the corner blitz at an inopportune time in the second quarter, as Jake Rudock found Damon Bullock open in the flat, and Bullock slipped away from linebacker Denicos Allen and raced for a 47-yard TD.

— The Hawkeyes' second scoring drive got a 15-yard boost in field position when RJ Williams committed a personal foul with a late shot to the face mask of an Iowa player after a fair catch. On the very next play, Tevaun Smith beat Darqueze Dennard deep for a 36-yard gain.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK

How should the Michigan State offense create big plays?

The answer was to put the ball into the hands of its playmakers early and often.

Receiver Macgarrett Kings Jr. came up big with a 46-yard catch and run, while Cook fired the ball confidently downfield throughout the game, finding senior Bennie Fowler in clutch situations.

The Spartans' run game could still use a little kick, and that might be why true freshman Delton Williams saw his first action of the season at tailback with Riley Bullough lining up at fullback for the first time this season.

READER REACTION

Where do the Spartans need to improve most if they are to make a run at winning the Big Ten championship? What areas need the most work?